1. Field of the Invention
The present invention is directed to a chemoluminescent bait container particularly suitable for night fishing, and more particularly, a bait container such as a bait bucket or live well having a chemoluminescent material incorporated into the floor, walls, or lid thereof, or having introduced therein a removable article such as a disk or cylinder or lid or even an aerator having chemoluminescent materials incorporated therein, to thereby provide a gentle illumination of the bait fish contained in the container for ease of locating, retrieving and hooking the bait fish at night, and optionally also having chemoluminescent material provided on at least one outer surface of the container, to thereby provide guidance and safety to night fishermen.
2. Description of the Related Art
When fishing from a boat or pier, it is a common practice to keep live bait fish in a container known as a xe2x80x9cbait bucket.xe2x80x9d Fish can be kept alive for many hours in a bait bucket by using an aerator or an oxygen tablet to replenish the oxygen in the water as it is depleted by the bait fish. Alternatively, larger boats may be equipped with a live well, wherein air is introduced into the water via an aerator, or freshly oxygenated water from under the hull is pumped into the well and oxygen depleted water is discharged over the side.
It is difficult to see bait fish inside a bait container at night. The walls of the container form a light shield, so that little ambient light reaches into the bait container. This makes it difficult to select and retrieve bait fish.
Due to the use of knives and hooks by multiple fishermen in a confined area such as a pier or boat, fishing during the day is associated with a certain amount of danger. At night, the dangers are even greater, particularly in the area of high activity immediately around the bait container. There is also the problem that a portable bait container is easily kicked over, particularly in the dark.
To reduce the risks associated with night fishing, fishermen often attempt to illuminate the area of the bait container at night using flashlights, portable lamps, lanterns, or cigarette lighters. These devices often provide either too much light or not enough light. Too much light results in loss of night vision. Not enough light results in danger of the fisherman hooking or cutting himself. Hand-held devices are awkward to use while trying to perform the task of cutting or hooking bait in the fishing area, and fixed lights cast shadows, or shine into the fishermen""s eyes.
Further, electrical systems are prone to failure in the marine environment due to corrosiveness of salt water, particularly on electrical wires. U.S. Pat. No. 5,406,740 teaches the illumination of the internal chamber of a bait tank with a light mounted within the bottom of the tank. The light source is electrically activated from a source of power by conductive wires that pass through a channel formed in the bottom of the tank. The light is solely for the purpose of lighting the internal compartment of the bait tank so that the fish may observe one another and the tank walls. The value of the light to the fisherman is thus limited. Further, in the case of an electrical short or a loss of power, the light source is also lost.
There is thus a need for a device which is convenient to use, will illuminate the bait container area, will be highly visible at night so it will be easy to find, and will prevent accidental tip-over of the bait container, will make retrieval and hooking of bait fish easier, and will not cause loss of night vision, thus making the night-time fishing experience more enjoyable.
Further, there is the need for a light, which is not dependent upon an electrical power source or electrical wiring.
In view of the foregoing, it is an object of the present invention to provide a live bait container, which overcomes the above disadvantages.
The present inventor has many years of experience with bait fish, and was aware of the problems associated with night fishing, but until he conceived of the present invention, was not aware that it would be possible to solve all these problems. It is surprising that all these problems can be solved in a simple and eloquent way.
The inventor discovered that all the above problems can be solved by a bait container such as a bait bucket or live well having a chemoluminescent material incorporated into or coated onto the floor, walls, or lid thereof, or having introduced therein a removable article such as a disk, square, fish-shape or cylinder or lid or even an aerator or hose having chemoluminescent materials incorporated therein or coated thereon, to thereby provide a gentle illumination of the bait fish contained in the container for ease of locating, retrieving and hooking the bait fish at night, and optionally also having chemoluminescent material provided on at least one outer surface of the container, to thereby provide guidance and safety to night fishermen.
One aspect of the present invention resides in the use of a plastic having good water resistance and mixed with chemoluminescent material to create at least a part of an aerator, a bait bucket, the bait well, or the glow plate. With the chemoluminescent plastic, a soft glowing light is provided that, in comparison to flashlights or fixed overhead lamps, is easy to use and preserves night vision while operating a vessel or fishing from a pier.
The gently and even light emitted from the chemoluminescent material makes bait selection easy.
Finally, the chemoluminescent bait container provides a safety feature to the fisherman by illuminating the bait container, and optionally the area around the bait container. The luminous bait container keeps the fisherman from tripping over the container and provides enough light to bait the fishhook.
The foregoing has outlined rather broadly the more pertinent and important features of the present invention in order that the detailed description of the invention that follows may be better understood and so that the present contribution to the art can be more fully appreciated. Additional features of the invention will be described hereinafter which form the subject of the claims of the invention. It should be appreciated by those skilled in the art that the conception and the specific embodiments disclosed may be readily utilized as a basis for modifying or designing other illuminated bait tanks for carrying out the same purposes of the present invention.